August 26, 2005

Moog Synthesizer Creator Dies

By | August 26, 2005

Robert Moog Ph.D. ’65, father of the popular electronic synthesizer, passed away last Sunday at the age of 71. He suffered from an inoperable brain tumor, discovered in April.

While his family encouraged him to play piano, Moog’s real interest was in physics. His talent in the subject allowed him to attend Bronx High School of Science in New York City, one of the city’s more prestigious schools. He continued from there to earn a physics bachelor’s degree at Queens College and an electrical engineering degree from Columbia University. He then went on to earn a Ph.D. in engineering physics from Cornell.

Moog — rhymes with vogue — spent his lifetime making undeniable contributions to the field of music recording. Synthesizers today are used in all types of music, including rock, hip-hop, jazz, and even classical. He received a Grammy Trustees Award in recognition of the deep impact he made by developing synthesizers.

Moog arguably began his career in the field of recording at the young age of 14, when he built his own theremin, one of the first electronic musical instruments. By age 19, Moog had started selling mail-order theremin kits for $49.95.

In 1964, the year before he received his Ph.D. from Cornell, Moog developed voltage-controlled synthesizer modules — essentially, the first real-time playable and reconfigurable synthesizer. Three years later, Moog developed a second synthesizer, which sold for a mere $11,000 under the company name Moog Music Inc. The company’s first factory was located in Trumansburg, where it remained until 1971. The Moog synthesizer was used by now famous musical groups such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd and The Who.

The only other synthesizer available at the time was manufactured by RCA, cost upwards of $100,000 and was built specifically for use by university-financed labs. Moog had created an all-in-one practical instrument that could conceivably be marketed for widespread use, not to mention its comparable ease of use and size.

It was Wendy Carlos’ 1968 Grammy-winning album, Switched-On Bach, that brought the Moog synthesizer national prominence and use. The Minimoog, released in 1971, was incredibly popular in the 1970s, selling approximately 13,000 units in that decade. Bands like the Beatles, Grateful Dead and Rolling Stones brought the synthesizer into more households when they began using them in their music.

“I’m an engineer. I see myself as a toolmaker and the musicians are my customers,” Moog once said, as quoted by the Associated Press. “They use the tools.”

At the end of 1977, Moog left his company to found Big Briar, to focus on developing and manufacturing custom electronic musical instruments, though he would come to reacquire the company in the coming decades. Moog keyboards ceased production in 1986 but in 2002 he revived it with a new model, the Minimoog Voyager, continuing to refine and enhance the way music is made.

“Bob shaped music in deep and meaningful ways by changing how music could be produced and ultimately, how it would sound. He contributed to a new soundscape — a legacy that we will continue in his honor,” wrote Mike Adam, president of Moog Music, in a statement on the company’s website, www.moogmusic.com. “He was a musical pioneer for the love of it and musicians everywhere have had the opportunity to expand their own creative horizons with Bob’s inventions.”

Related

ByAugust 29, 2005

The abrupt termination of the Lehman presidency has left Cornell with questions about what happened in June and why. Many of the central players, including President Jeffrey S. Lehman ’77 himself, have signed confidentiality agreements barring them from speaking about the issues surrounding the departure. However, as the Presidential Search Committee prepares to hold open meetings tomorrow, and rumors fill the information void, many faculty, alumni and students have found it difficult to move forward. Prof. Steven Kaplan, the Goldwin Smith Professor of History, and a long-time acquaintance of Lehman’s, said that the former president was forced to resign from his post. “If the guy did not commit an act of malfeasance, then tell us why he was forced out of the presidency,” Kaplan said. Kaplan, who has taught at Cornell for 35 years, told The Sun that he was angered by “the contemptuous paternalism with which the Board of Trustees treats faculty.” He said that the forced resignation was to “reproach Lehman for daring to have a vision.” “Why can’t we the faculty in the first instance, you the students in the second instance, be treated like adults?” he asked. Kaplan said that Lehman’s surprising announcement was a “brutal, brusque fiction of a resignation,” made more disturbing because of the lack of transparency in the process. On June 14, Dean of University Faculty Charles Walcott sent an e-mail to the faculty asking them to refer all media questions to Tommy Bruce, vice president of communications and media relations. Walcott stated in the e-mail that faculty speculation on the matter was “neither constructive nor productive.” University officials have repeatedly said that it is time for Cornell to look to the future. Publicly, the administration has maintained that Lehman’s departure was a voluntary decision based on his disagreements with the Board. “On June 11, Jeff announced his decision to resign,” Bruce said. “It may be frustrating, but it is true in life that great people come together to do great things, but decide in the end to go their separate ways. We may not like the outcome, but we have got to respect it.” Lehman, who declined to speak on the matter, instead shared optimism for his future. He told The Sun that he is leaving today to begin a year at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, writing on the role of the transnational university. Afterwards, he may accept a presidency at another college or university, he told The Sun, although he added that nothing would be as satisfying as his position at Cornell. Several Board members told The Sun that they were unaware of the rift between Lehman and the Board until the night before or the day of his announcement. Sources generally agree that there are no simple answers and no smoking guns. One major donor, along with a top administrator, said that certain Board members and Lehman clashed on several key issues. “Jeff is a very dynamic individual, when he gets an idea about something, he runs with it, almost to the exclusion of everything else. When you’re the head of a department you can do that, that’s fine. But when you’re the president of the University, you can’t,” he said. “But when people around campus have to wonder why was such a move made, that’s a question that needs to be asked and answered.” He said that Lehman’s transnational vision was only a component of the disagreement between the parties. The final straw, the donor said, “was the loss of Inge Reichenbach.” Reichenbach, former vice president for alumni affairs and development, resigned April 13, accepting a position as vice president for development at Yale University. According to Day Hall staff speaking on condition of anonymity, Reichenbach resigned as a result of disagreements with Lehman over fundraising. One staff member said that they were told that if they spoke with the media again, they would be fired. According to the donor and to administrators familiar with development, Reichenbach and the Board felt that Lehman’s “Call to Engagement” was a distraction from the capital campaign. They say that Lehman, at the time, had felt the Call necessary to decide where the money was needed and what it was needed for. University officials have stated that Reichenbach’s departure had nothing to do with Lehman, but instead was a case of a highly talented individual being given a better job offer. With additional reporting from Sun News Editor Erica FinkArchived article by Michael MorisySun News Editor

Article body:
Robert Moog Ph.D. ’65, father of the popular electronic synthesizer, passed away last Sunday at the age of 71. He suffered from an inoperable brain tumor, discovered in April.
While his family encouraged him to play piano, Moog’s real interest was in physics. His talent in the subject allowed him to attend Bronx High School of Science in New York City, one of the city’s more prestigious schools. He continued from there to earn a physics bachelor’s degree at Queens College and an electrical engineering degree from Columbia University. He then went on to earn a Ph.D. in engineering physics from Cornell.